Improvement in harvester-rakes



J. B. McMlLLAN.

Harvester-Rakes.

No. 142,490. PatentedSeptember2,1873.

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JAIRUS B. MGMILLAN, OF NORTH VERNON, lNDIANA.

NIMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTER-RAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 142,490, datedSeptember 2, 1873; application filed January 21, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAIRUs B. MOMILLLN, of North Vernon, in the countyof Jennings and in'the State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and usefulImprovement in Rakes for Harvesting-Machines; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operation of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a plan; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view,showing the rake-post, rake-arm, trip-lever, and the front and rearrake-trips.

The construction of my rake is such that it may be worked by the driversfeet as a footrake, or by the machine as a self-rake; and it is easilychanged from one to the other.

To operate as a foot-rake, the machine is provided with a foot-lever, A,which has a cross-foot, R, where it is pivoted to the machine,convenient for the drivers feet to rest on as he sits on his seat. Thecross-foot extends to the right and left far enough to afford leveragefor the driver to vibrate the le-,

ver A easily with his feet. The lever A extends back, under the driversseat, to the rear of the machine. To the grain -platform, just at therear of the reel post, is fixed a roundpin upright. This pin fits in thehole in the rake post 0 at M, and holds the post perpendicular as itturns on the pin. To the rake-post O, at the side next the machine, isfixed an iron, D, with holes through each end. In the front end of thisiron D one end of the connecting-rod B is hooked, and the other end isconnected to the rear end of the foot'lever A. This connects thefoot-lever A and the rake-post 0.

As the driver presses with his right foot the right-hand end of the footof the lever A, he causes the rear end to vibrate to one side of themachine, thus imparting motion to the connecting-rod B and the rake-postO, which turns on the pin at M. When he relaxes the right and presseswith his left foot, the motion is reversed.

Near the top of the rakepost O, to the side opposite the iron 1), ispivoted, at N, the rakearm E, and to the lower end, at O, is pivoted oneend of the trip-lever F. Its upper end is provided with a roller, P,which stands out far enough to run in a slot in the lower end of therake-arm E, thus connecting the rake-arm E and the trip-lever F. Nearthe front of the platform, at the foot of the reel-post, the front tripG is bolted; and the rear trip His bolted to the platform at the rear ofthe rake-post G. The rake I is bolted to the upper end of the rake-arm Ein such a position that it describes nearly the fourth of a circleacross or over the platform.

As the rake-post 0 turns on its pin at M the rake must turn with it. Astherake approaches the front of the platform in its elevated positionthe trip lever F comes in contact with the front rake-trip G, whichraises the upper end of the trip-lever F, and causes its roller 1? topass to the top of the slot in therake arm E. This draws the lower endof the arm E to the post 0, and slightly lowers the rake I. As the post0 turns farther on its pin it causes the roller P topass down in theslot, and the lower end of the arm E to pass to the opposite side of therake post C. When the roller 1 reaches the lower end of the slot in thearm E it looks the arm in that position. At the same time the rake I isthrown down on the platform, and locked there until, as the rake ismaking its sweep across the platform to rake off the gavel, it reachesthe edge of the platform at the rear of the machine. The trip-lever Fstrikes the rear rake-trip H, which causes the roller P to pass, first,to the top, then to the lower end of the slot in the arm E. The lowerend of arm E is passed to the opposite side of the post 0, and the rakeis raised to its elevated position, and held there until the triplever Fcomes in contact with the front trip Gr, when the rake has again madeits forward sweep over the platform. As the rake is raising anddelivering its gavel at the edge of the platform, its head is graduallyturned and easily freed from the grain. This decreases the tendency tostring out and scatter the gavel.

To change from a foot to a self rake it is only necessary to disconnectthe rod B from the front end of the iron D, and connect it with the rearend and to the crank-wheel J at the end of the axle tree. As this wheelJ re volvcs with the axle tree, motion is given to the rod B, post(J,and rake I, which makesits circular sweep across the platform thesame as when operated as a foot rake. The wheel J has slots in itsoutside, which the pin thatpasses through the end of the aXle tree fitsin, and causes the wheel to revolve with the axle-tree. But to enablethe driver to rake at will, the inside of the wheel J has ahub,which isgrooved, and supports the forked end of the rod K, the other end ofwhich is pivotedto the machine at Q. The rod L is connected to the rod Kjust back of the drive-wheel, and with the rear end of the footlever Awhen used as a self-rake.

By this arrangement the driver can, with his feet, disconnect andconnect the pin at the end of the axle-tree and the slots in the wheelJ, as the wheel fits loosely, and is easily moved to and from the pin atthe end of the axle-tree, making the wheel revolve or stop at pleasure,to make the gavels uniform in size in heavy or light grain. By thisarrangement I have a combination-rake that can be operated either as afoot-rake or self-rake; and it is easily changed from one to the otherby simply changing one rod. It is simple in construction-consequentlycheap and durable, and easily understood by the farmersnot liable to getout of order, but easily repaired, if out of order, by an ordinarymechanic, because ofits simplicity; and it is a side delivery.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The combination and arrangement of the rake-post O, the rake-arm E, thetrip-leverF, the front trip G, and the rear trip H, and the footlever A,the connecting -rod B, and iron D, when used as a foot or self rake.

J AIRUS B. MOMILLAN.

Witnesses:

A. S. DYE, MARK RoBINsoN.

